False Friends in English and Portuguese – Part III

This is the third and last part of a list I created with the most common false friends between English and Portuguese. These pairs of words and their meanings show that the word which resembles the most in spelling and pronunciation in another language is not always the right match in terms of translation. The list is organised by alphabetical order. You can read or reread the first and second parts here.

PRETEND – PRETENDER

Pretend translates as fingir, while pretender is used when we mean to say intend or mean. In Portuguese, desejar or ter a intenção.

She was jumping with joy at the news. – Ela pulava de alegria com a notícia.

PUSH – PUXAR

For the Portuguese speakers, even if fluent in English, there tends to be some hesitation when faced with a door with a sign that reads “Push”. Should we puxar or empurrar? Instinctively, it seems to make sense to puxar, since both words are similar, but puxar actually means to pull. Confusing?

Could you please push the closet to the right? – Importas-te de empurrar o armário para a direita?

Languages are always very rich and complex elements that identify a nation. For this reason, it takes a really long time for one to become fluent in a foreign language. What looks obvious can either be wrong or just not the best option. Even with our mother tongue, it is important to keep studying it and look for answers to our doubts. But it is in this complexity and richness that lies its beauty.